Waiting to Heal
by varnish7
Summary: After experiencing a health crisis while helping Jessica, David learns about his real fatherAsa Buchanan. In my story, David never blackmailed Clint.
1. Chapter 1

-1Summary: After experiencing a health crisis while trying to save Jessica's life, David learns about his real father--Asa Buchanan. (In my story, David never blackmailed Clint.)

CHAPTER ONE

Clint and Viki watched silently as their daughter was wheeled down the hall and taken into the operating room. "Don't worry, Viki, Jessie's a Buchanan. She's going to make it through this."

"You don't know how much I want to believe that. I'm just grateful that David agreed to be a donor. Surprised, but grateful."

"Yeah, me too. I thought for sure David was going to demand payment, especially considering Asa . . ." Clint suddenly stopped talking. He didn't want anyone else knowing about Vicker's deal with Asa if he could help it.

"Considering Asa what?"

"Oh, never mind. I'm just so happy that David decided to do the right thing for once in his miserable life, that I don't know what I'm saying." Viki glared at him and was about to say something extremely cutting, when Dorian came up to Clint and wrapped her arms around him.

"Viki, Clint, I just want you to know that I'm here if you need me. After all, we wouldn't even be here if it weren't for my idea of David being tested." Dorian preened before Clint.

"I know, and Viki and I just can't thank you enough for that."

"Yes, Dorian," Viki said sarcastically. "Thank heavens for you. I mean, I would never expect you to go through what did you call it, major invasive surgery, oh wait, David is, not you! Now, if you'll excuse me, Clint, I'm going to the Chapel. I'm going to say a prayer for our daughter and for David."

(Operating Room)

Paige and Michael were assisting Dr. Harrison with the liver transplant when the crisis hit. Not from Jessica, which is what they had been prepared for, but from David. They had just opened him up and were starting to remove the right lobe of his liver. Suddenly his heartbeat began racing and he began breathing rapidly. "His oxygen saturation levels are going through the roof." Dr. Harrison said. "Muscles are rigid. What's his temp?"

Paige quickly checked. "101.7. Metabolic activity is way too high. It's Malignant Hyperthermia. We need to cancel the surgery right away." Suddenly Jessica's heart monitor began to beep rapidly. Michael quickly injected her with something and her heart resumed something like a normal rhythm.

"Paige, we can't cancel the surgery. Jessica would never survive. Her body has rejected Antonio's liver. If we don't get the section from David now, it'll be too late. Now, if we can work fast enough, maybe we can save them both."

"Michael, you know we have to administer treatment to David right away!"

"I know. I hate this as much as you do, but we don't have a choice. Luckily David is in excellent health otherwise. That gives him a good chance of surviving this." Paige wanted to protest, but realized Michael was right. There was only one chance for both Jessica and David to survive, and there was no time for arguments. She turned to Dr. Harrison.

"How long is it going to take for you to finish with David?"

"About 20 more minutes."

"That long?"

"That long if I want to do it right." Dr. Harrison said operating even as she spoke. Suddenly Jessica began to flatline. At the same time, a nurse said "Mr. Vicker's temperature has risen to 103 degrees."


	2. Chapter 2

-1CHAPTER TWO

Disclaimer: I forgot to put this in before. ABC owns them, not me.

"She's going into cardiac arrest! I need 50cc's of epinephrine and the crash cart stat!" Michael shouted. He injected Jessica with the epinephrine. No change. Michael and the other doctors quickly applied those shock paddles. After the third try, Jessica's heart began beating again. With a sigh of relief all around, they continued the surgery.

Twenty minutes later, Dr. Harrison had removed the right lobe of David's liver and had sewn him back up. She then turned her attention onto Jessica, while Paige remained focused on David. His condition had deteriorated even in that short time. She quickly began administering the treatment, praying that she wasn't too late.

"Dorian, I don't know how much longer I can just stand around here." Clint said nervously. "I'm going to see if I can find a doctor, who'll tell me what's going on."

"Clint, I'm sure everything is under control. This is a fairly straight-forward operation. They're going to remove part of David's liver, and put it into Jessica. It's just like last time."

"Last time, the hospital blew up."

"You may have a point there." Dorian took Clint's hand. "Listen, Jessica is going to be just fine. After all, she has you for a father."

"What about her mother?"

"Let's just say I've decided that since I don't have anything nice to say; I won't say anything at all." Miles observed this scene and then put an arm around his wife's shoulders.

"Isn't it amazing how a crisis brings people closer together? It must be nice to go into surgery, knowing all these people care enough to be there for you."

"Yeah, Jessica is so lucky." Marty said sarcastically, pulling away from him in disgust. "What the hell is wrong with you? In case you didn't notice, this isn't a game here!"

"I just mean it must be nice for Jessica having so many people who love her. That guy--Nash, he seems really devoted to his wife. The way I see it, when you get married, you owe a certain loyalty to your spouse. Especially when you consider the alternative."

"What? Prison? At this point, death would be a better alternative than being married to you!"

"Well, I'm not so sure that Cole would agree to that."

"Don't you ever mention my son's name again! Now get the hell away from me!" Marty said fiercely. Miles gave her a wounded look, and then did as she requested. There has to be someway I can make her do what I want, he thought to himself. Suddenly inspiration struck. Miles took out his cell phone.

"Damn! Voicemail. Hi, this is Miles Lawrence. I wanted to talk to you about adoption laws in Pennsylvania."

Just as Miles was finishing his call, Paige stepped into the waiting room. Everyone gathered around her, eager for information.

"Well, Paige? Is my daughter going to be OK?" Clint demanded.

"Are you sure you don't want to get Viki first?" Paige asked.

"No, she's in the chapel. Just tell me and I'll tell her." Paige looked doubtful for a moment and then nodded.

"OK, there were some problems in surgery. Jessica's heart stopped. We were able to get it going again." Paige added hastily seeing how Clint's face had paled. "But we were able to complete the transplant successfully. So far Jessica's body shows no signs of rejecting David's liver. I can't make any guarantees, of course, but it's my belief that your daughter is going to be just fine."

"Thank God for that." Clint said hoarsely.

"Yes, thank God for that." Dorian echoed. "And to think this is all thanks to David of all people. When will I be able to see him? What? What is it?"

"Dr. Lord, about David."

"Yes, what about him? Where is he? I want to see him." Dorian demanded, beginning to be afraid of the look on Paige's face.

"I'm afraid the news about David isn't so good."


	3. Chapter 3

-1DISCLAIMER: They belong to ABC not to me.

Good reviews make the chapters come faster (hint hint)

CHAPTER THREE

"What, what are you talking about? What happened with David? What's wrong with him?" Dorian began speaking faster and faster.

"We were performing the operation when David began showing signs of Malignant Hyperthermia." Paige noticed the look of confusion on Clint's face and explained further. "Basically, it means that David has a genetic defect that causes him to react badly to certain general anesthetics. It's usually characterized by muscular rigidity and an extremely high fever."

"Yes, of course being a doctor, I know how serious MH can be. I'm just thankful that this happened after you got the section from David. Now, where is David? I want to go see him."

"Dorian, I'm not sure how to tell you this. David's reaction set in near the beginning of surgery."

"And you didn't do anything?!"

"Like I told you before, Jessica was in critical condition. Her heart was being affected. She needed to have that transplant right away. We had to continue with the surgery or we would have lost her."

"So you delayed treatment for David?" Dorian said this last in a deadly calm voice.

"Yes. We worked as quickly as we could to finish David's part of the transplant, but it still took a while."

"How long?"

"Twenty minutes." Dorian stared at Paige for a moment and then slapped her hard across the face!

"Twenty minutes! You delayed treatment for my David for twenty minutes so that Princess Jessica could get another liver?!" Dorian yelled.

"Dorian, I understand how you feel, but we didn't have a choice."

"Oh yes, you did. You could have delayed the surgery, but you didn't! Well this is typical of you isn't it? You already performed surgery on Thomas McBain while you were drunk, and now this! Let me tell you something, Dr. Miller, I am personally going to make sure that you never work as a doctor again, and I am going to sue you and this hospital for every penny you've got! And I'll tell you something else too, if it turns out that David doesn't make a full recovery, I will dedicate my life to making yours a living hell."

"Dorian, get a grip, OK? This isn't Paige's fault." Clint tried to reason with Dorian, but it was no use.

"Oh, I know whose fault it was! It was Viki's or Niki's, or whatever the hell she calls herself. If she hadn't dragged Jessica to those bars when she was a little girl, then Jessica wouldn't have been molested. She wouldn't have created Tess, and Tess wouldn't have done heroin and contracted Hep C."

"Hey don't bring Viki into this!"

"Oh, I beg your pardon Clint. Yes, I should have known not to speak out against Queen Victoria!"

"Well, actually I prefer Viki." Dorian and Clint turned and saw that Viki had entered the room. "I just heard the good news, Clint, our baby is going to be OK." Viki then looked at Dorian and noticed a look she was very familiar with. Here we go again she sighed to herself. "OK, Dorian, what have I done now?"

"You killed David that's what you've done!"


	4. Chapter 4

-1Disclaimer: Not mine.

CHAPTER FOUR

"David's dead?" Viki gasped, horrified by Dorian's outburst.

"No, he's had a reaction to the anesthetic. It's a condition known as Malignant Hyperthermia." Paige interjected. "We began administering the treatment as soon as it was feasible."

"Not soon enough!" Dorian interrupted bitterly.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, well you're precious daughter flatlined in O.R. and the doctors all decided that they had to save Jessica and to hell with David! I guess I shouldn't be surprised with all the money the Buchanan's have donated to the hospital!"

"Dorian that is enough! I understand that you're upset about David, but I will not stand here and listen to you insult my family!" Clint said firmly.

"Oh you don't want to listen to me insult Viki?! You don't want to listen to me insult your precious family?! Well if you don't want to listen to me, then maybe you should just get the hell out of here!" Dorian screamed in Clint's face as everyone watched the drama with interest. Damn Vickers, Clint thought to himself. He couldn't even have surgery without causing problems for him and Dorian.

"OK, if that's how you want it, I'll go back to the mansion and tell Natalie and Asa about Jessica." Clint said, trying to keep the anger out of his voice, but not really succeeding. He waited for a few minutes for his women to say something, but neither did. Clint stalked off angrily. Neither Dorian nor Viki noticed. They were both too focused on each other and David.

"This is all your fault Viki! If you hadn't screwed things up with Jessica when she was a little girl, then she wouldn't have ended up needing David's liver."

"Well, I can't see how this is entirely my fault." Viki said. "After all, it was your idea to have David tested wasn't it?" Viki knew that she was hitting below the belt, but she wasn't prepared for Dorian's reaction. Dorian lunged at Viki trying with all her might to claw Viki's eyes out. Two burly security guards quickly pulled her away and restrained her. Dorian struggled to escape their grip, but when she realized that it was impossible, she suddenly burst into hysterical tears.

Marty, who had been watching this scene quickly took out her cell phone. "Blair, it's Marty. No, I didn't call to talk about Todd or Miles. I'm at the hospital. Listen, you need to get over here right away."


End file.
